Following lithium in J&K, large deposits of 15 rare earth elements found in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute has found large deposits of 15 rare earth elements (REE) in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district, TOI reported on Tuesday.

REE of the lanthanide series are critical components in many electronic devices like cellphones, televisions, computers, automobiles used daily and in various industrial applications, the report said.

NGRI scientists conducted a survey looking for non-traditional rocks like syenites in Anantapur and successfully identified the host minerals. The major REE identified were allanite, ceriate, thorite, columbite, tantalite, apatite, zircon, monazite, pyrochlore euxenite and fluorite.


An estimated 5.9-million tonne reserve of lithium, a crucial mineral for the manufacturing of electric vehicles and solar panels, had been discovered in Reasi district by the Geological Survey of India (GSI).

"Lithium falls in the critical resource category, which was not earlier available in India and we were dependent for its 100 per cent import. The G3 (advanced) study of the GSI shows the presence of best quality lithium in abundant quantity in the foothills of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Salal village (Reasi)," J&K mining secretary Amit Sharma told PTI.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari recently said that if India can use recently discovered reserve of lithium in Jammu and Kashmir, it can become world's number one automobile manufacturer in electric vehicle segment.